Several times in recent years I have represented buyers in transactions where the seller’s side of the escrow seems to be a little messed up. In most of those cases, the problem was a result (directly or indirectly) of the home seller doing too much prep work before hiring an agent. That is really putting the cart before the horse, is a waste of money and it can cause harm to you, the seller, down the road.
In a couple of instances, the sellers ordered pre-sale inspections first and hired a real estate licensee later. What could be wrong with that? Like all professionals, there are better and worse inspectors (and better and worse companies). There are firms with fantastic reputations for honesty, thoroughness, and reliability. And then there are the duds.
Most of my real estate colleagues have a preferred vendor or two, but also have a long list of professionals whom they would trust to inspect a property and do a good job of it. Most home sellers, though, do not have much experience with inspectors and do not know these companies by reputation. More than once, I’ve heard sellers picking a national brand due to name recognition. That may be OK some of the time, but it’s sure not how most real estate agents would suggest hiring anyone!
When you hire a Realtor or other real estate licensee in a full service capacity (which is what happens most of the time), you are paying not for just the MLS entry, the negotiations, the fliers etc., but the whole transaction package, from start to finish. You’re paying for advice and guidance and that can begin long, long before there’s a sign in the yard. Why not take advantage of that guidance from the very beginning, with basic input on decluttering and staging and then which inspections to order – and for those, get a list of trusted sources from the real estate professional you hire.
As for the sales in which the seller made a poor inspection choice, in one case it cost that home owner about $10,000 and in another a lost sale.
There are many decisions you’ll need to make when selling your home. You don’t have to go it alone! Hire a great agent or broker to work with you and take advantage of your trusted resource from the very beginning. That will save you time, money and stress in the long run!
If you found this informative, there’s plenty more to read. Try one of these related posts:
Hiring an Agent to Help You Sell or Buy a Home in Silicon Valley
How do you choose a real estate agent whom you trust?
Thinking of Selling Your Silicon Valley Home? Get It Right The First Time if You Go On The Market!
